Augmented RealityBy Tangela Morris

Augmented Reality is a technology that brings up computer generated images to show the viewer information in real time.

Thesis

Augmented Reality has been found to be very beneficial to the medical field. Its going to help society by helping doctors in surgery and diagnosis.

Surgeons using Augmented Reality

History

Augmented reality began in 1968 with Ivan Sutherland. He developed the first head-mounted display system called the 'Sword of Damocles'.

The Sword of Damocles

The term "Augmented Reality" was coined by Tom Caudell in 1990.

Tom Caudell

In 1994 one of the earliest functional Augmented Reality systems was built. It was called Virtual Fixtures and was used by the Air Force.

One of the first uses of augmented reality was also Entertainment. Julie Martin, in 1994, used augmented reality in her show "Dancing in Cyberspace."

The beginning of wearable augmented reality devices began with Google Glass. Which was open to consumer.

Google Glass

In 2016, the amount invested into augmented reality was over $1.1 billion.

Society Benefits

One of the future benefits of Augmented reality is being able to show defibrillators nearby. The app called AED4EU and a Layer reality browser can be combined to help people find nearby defibrillators with their phones.

Another app in healthcare that uses augmented reality is VA-ST. This app helps people who have a hard time seeing.

Doctors and surgeons can use a program called HoloLens to display data models. They can be used to give the surgeons an idea of where the problem is and how to fix it.

Conclusion

From what I've seen, this technology is very useful in helping people see things in a different way. Not only does it allow doctors to see their patients in a more informed way, it helps regular people experience things that they might not be able to otherwise. A few drawbacks of this technology is it's cost. While small amounts of augmented reality are available to the public a question remains: Will prices rise or fall? Will it be accessible to everyone? Another concern is whether people will be taught how to use this technology? Hopefully there will be tutorials and classes available?